SAN ANTONIO – The once-empty Kennedy Park on the city's West Side was transformed into a playground Wednesday with the help of volunteers.
Volunteers with CarMax, the City of San Antonio's Parks and Recreation Department, KaBOOM! and the Thompson Neighborhood Association helped put the finishing touches on the park.
Kids from the nearby Thompson neighborhood drew their vision for the once open field, and the playground was designed with their drawings in mind. Prior to Wednesday, kids in the area did not have a playground in the immediate area to enjoy.
"There's nothing like this in this part of town, and in a 2-mile radius there is no other park or playground for kids to play," said Steven Gillmer, the general manager of CarMax's I-10 location. "And so it's really important for us to make sure that everyone around here -- all the children -- have a safe place to get out, let loose and have a good time."
The CarMax Foundation provided the majority of the funding for the playground, with help from KaBOOM! The Kennedy Park playground is one of 68 new play spaces which the two groups intend on creating across the country in the coming years.